bugsonmyboard

The beast that bore me and the things she carried are all described below. See this update on the moto, mods, and gear for a review of what worked, what sucked, and what broke.

Meet Dyna Rae, my Suzuki DR650 – she can do it all. Near the beginning of her overland makeover:

Modifications complete and loaded for a trans-Africa expedition:

Just about any bike will get you there and back, given a flexible schedule and enough ingenuity. That said, it gives me some peace of mind knowing that I’ve taken up with a reliable, versatile and time tested machine such as Dyna Rae – simple enough mechanically that even I might be able to fix her when she needs some TLC. She is a 2007 model that had 6K miles on her when we met in 2010.  Sporting a 644 cubic centimeter power plant, she weighs in at a svelte 325 pounds dry and unburdened. She’ll do single track trails, hours blasting on superslab, and everything in between. The carbureted, air cooled design hasn’t changed since 1996, which means that you won’t be winning any enduro races, but there are loads of aftermarket goodies to dress her up and a wealth of knowledge on the design out there in the motorcycling community. Of course, no one is perfect…

DR Modifications

I had no idea about motorcycles before Dyna and I met, so learning how to work on one has been a journey in itself. Usually involving breaking one thing while I’m trying to fix another thing. I’d be in far worse shape without the experiences of other riders and travelers – some of which are linked on the side bar at the right. My bike modifications are listed below along with tools, spares and a gear list. See the post Dyna Rae all Dressed Up for more details on preparations for circumnavigating Africa.

• Body and Controls

  Long range tank – Acerbis 5.3 gal
  Handlebars – Renthal Jimmy Button bend
  1” Bar risers
  Hand guards – Cycra
  New grips
  Windshield – Screens for bikes
  Engine case guard – Procycle
  Quick response throttle tube – Procycle
  Case and oil filter cover armor
  Front fender – KTM style UFO
  Bash plate – Procycle
  Rear rack – Moto Billet
  Saddle – Seat Concepts
  License plate bracket – Procycle
  Top box – Pelican 1450
  Toolbox – MTE Engineering (via DRriders)
  Tool tube – Ag supply on ebay
  Panniers – Ortileb saddle bags
  Surf Rack – modified from Carver Racks
  Wider footpegs – bronation from ebay
  Side racks for bags – ebay
  Stainless hardware replacement

• Suspension and Rubber

  Fork springs – Eibach
  Heavier (7.6 kg/mm) shock spring
  Race tech gold valve
  Heavy-duty (3mm) inner tubes
  Mefo Explorer tires
  Rear axel locknut- Procycle

• Electrical

  USB outlet hardwired into switched power
  HID headlight
  DR 250 tail light
  Battery -Yuasa high capacity
  Home made mini jumper cables installed under seat
  GPS – Iphone with RAM mount

• Engine and Drive

  Magnetic sump plug – Procycle
  Oil filter magnet – Procycle
  Aluminum chain guide – Procycle
  Case Saver – Procycle
  Air filter – Twin Air
  Filter skins x 12
  Stainless steel oil filter – Dual Star
  Extended fuel screw – Keintech
  Plastic choke fitting replaced
  Suzuki Hyabusa muffler – ebay
  Two Brothers/Keintech midpipe
  New chain ring and countershaft sprocket
  DID 525 X-ring chain

• Ditched and Refreshed

  CA emissions box removed
  License plate holder assembly removed
  Valves adjusted
  Carburetor disassembled and cleaned, screws replaced
  Upper chain roller removed
  Cush drive rubbers replaced
  Sprocket cover removed
  Kickstand and clutch safety switches disabled
  Dialectric grease applied to connectors
  New spark plugs
  Replaced cam chain tensioner gasket
  Shock seal and oil replaced
  Fuel line replaced
  NSU screws replaced and loctited

Bike Stuff on Board

You can never carry everything that you might need, but it would be nice to have spares and tools along that will avoid a show stopper. This is the trouble with time to prepare – you think of too much crap to carry. Here is my list for the DR:

• Spares

  Clutch and throttle cables (zip tied in place)
  Front sprocket – 14 tooth
  Counter shaft seals
  Front and rear wheel bearings
  Cush drive bearing
  Shock and fork seals
  Front brake pads
  Headlight and taillight bulbs
  Inner tubes front and rear – standard thickness
  Oil drain plug
  Chain links, master links x 3
  Spark plugs x 2
  Fuses x 3
  Fuel line
  14 gauge wire +connectors
  Spare bolts kit

• Tool Kit

  1/4” Socket driver – Motion Pro
  Bit driver
  Combo tire iron/axel wrench x 2
  Allen keys – 2/3/4/5/6/8/10
  Wrenches – 8/10/12/13/17
  Sockets – 6/8/10/12/13/14/17
  8”Socket extension
  3/8”-1/4” Socket converter
  Spark plug socket
  Chain tool
  7”Knipex locking pliers
  4” vice grips
  Tire pressure gauge
  Mountain bike pump
  Bike crutch for tire repairs
  Feeler gauges
  Valve tappet adjuster
  Sawzall blades – metal and all purpose
  Valve stem fishing tool
  Letherman tool
  Toothbrush
  Small voltage tester
  Telescoping magnet
  Tow strap

• Consumables

  Zip ties
  Duct and electrical tape
  Blue loc-tite
  Tube patch kit
  JB weld
  Blue RTV gasket maker
  Bearing grease
  Chain lube
  Small WD-40

 

Gear

Gear obsessing is a great way to pretend you’re going to do something exciting while you’re not doing anything very exciting. I’ve tried to embrace the lesson I’ve learned backpacking in the wilderness that less is often best when weight and space are at a premium.

• Riding

  Helmet – On-off road AFX- FX39
  Goggles – Smith Intake
  Armored jacket with mesh panels- Rev’it Turbine
  Armored pants with zip off panels – Joe Rocket
  Gloves – Aerostitch Ropers

• Camping

  Tent – REI quarter dome
  Sleep mat – Exped Airmat and pillow
  Bag – Montbell down hugger 30 degree
  Cooking – Trangia mini alcohol stove and pot, 1L water bottle
  Water – Sawyer in-line filter, MSR dromedary bag

• Surfing

  Board – 5’11” quad fin by Ward Coffee, Santa Cruz
  Water wear – Oneil 3/2 psycho freak suit, boardies, reef boots, neoprene top
  Spares and repairs – 2 x leashes, 2 x fin set, ding repair stuff

• Personal

  Clothing – Keen Sandals, 3 t-shirts, 1 pair pants, 3 socks, 3 underwear, hat, rain jacket, light insulating jacket
  Communications and data– Macbook Air 11”, 1TB External drive, 128gb USB drive
  Camera – Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 tough camera, Lumix GF3 with 14 mm lens (28mm equivalent), mini tripod, modified go-pro mount, x-shot monopod
  Med Kit compression bandage, adhesive bandages,sterile dressings, antiseptic cream, tweezers, ibuprofen, vicodin, antibioics, antimalarial medication
  Other – stowable daypack, headlamp, pack towel, mosquito head net, toiletries, water treatment, nylon cord, mini caribiners, rechargeable batteries, chargers, outlet adapters

• Documents

  U.S. Passport
  Bike registration
  Bike title
  California driver license
  International driver license
  Travel insurance
  Carnet de passage en Duane (Africa)
  Paper and digital copies of all